Sarcos: Church, Heritage and Nature

If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Sarcos, you can plan around the local themes: the Church of Saint-Étienne and the Passion cross, the history of the Comté d’Astarac, or the area’s natural features and trails. The village festival also provides a recurring date to help you choose when to travel. Sarcos is accessible via the D12 road.

Saint-Étienne and the Stations of the Cross

The Church of Saint-Étienne dates from the 16th century and is Gothic in style. The Passion cross in the church is carried in a procession during Holy Week and then put on display. The procession and display follow one another as two parts of the same tradition; Holy Week is the specific time of year to bear in mind when considering this custom.

A permanent certificate of erection for the Stations of the Cross was issued on 24 June 1928; all the stations were blessed. In 2022, the Sarcos Patrimoine et Traditions association cleaned all the stations and restored three of them. The dates refer to different things: the certificate is permanent, while the cleaning and restoration were specific works carried out in 2022.

Historical background of Astarac

The history of Sarcos and Monbardon in the Comté d’Astarac is traced back to the year 920, when Arnaud-Garsie was the first Count of Astarac. This reference reaches further back in time than the Gothic church from the 16th century and the certificate of erection from 1928. The earlier history of the Comté and the later, specifically dated references to the church and Stations of the Cross therefore represent different historical periods.

Protected area and wetland

The “Cours de la Gimone et de la Marcaoue” protected area also includes Sarcos. It is a type 2 ZNIEFF and forms an ecological corridor along the Gimone and Marcaoue rivers. Under the Habitats Directive, the area is also designated as a ZSC, SIC and PSIC. Another natural feature is found in Sarcos-Cap d’Astarac: there is a wetland near Lac de la Gimone.

Trails and directions

The “Balades dans Cap d'Astarac-Monbardon & Sarcos” route runs from Monbardon to Sarcos and passes through the village. The 13 km “Le sentier des 2 lacs” circular trail is signposted in Sarcos on the D283. The activities listed for this circular trail are hiking, trail running, mountain biking and horse riding. The route information helps with different planning questions: the first route is described as running between Monbardon and Sarcos, while the circular trail’s length and listed activities are highlighted. If you’re planning your trip around a particular activity, its activity list offers a specific point of reference.

Village festival in August

Sarcos’ village festival takes place every year on the first weekend of August. If this date is important for your trip, use the weekend as a guide when planning.

Discover more destinations: Leboulin, La Romieu, Fourcès, Lectoure, Tourdun, Pavie, Castelnau-D'arbieu, Saint-Jean-Poutge

For the broader travel overview: Gers.